Since the start of June, summer is practically here, and that means the Belgian greenhouse vegetable season is now in full swing. "From the end of April until the third week of May, we saw a real production peak, especially in tomatoes, which the market couldn't fully absorb in a normal way. But since the end of last week, that seems to be behind us," said FMB's Jonathan Vandesande.
"The weather was obviously fantastic in the first few weeks of May," he continued. "This came after a period when many felt the season had gotten off to a slow start. Initially, there was underexposure, which raised concerns among growers. However, it then turned warm and dry for an extended period in April and May, which led to a sudden surge in production. Traditionally, mid-to-late May is the peak period for fruiting vegetables—especially tomatoes—but the first major wave of peppers also comes around then."
"This year, however, the peak was highly concentrated over just a few weeks. From late April to mid-May, tomatoes were abundant. Certain varieties in particular, like Coeur de Boeuf and cherry tomatoes, reached volumes the market simply couldn't handle," Jonathan continued. "That led to very low prices, which is unpleasant for everyone. And it lasted for quite a while—actually up until the end of last week—when prices for vine tomatoes, and to a lesser extent flesh and plum tomatoes, began rising sharply. Yesterday's prices confirmed this trend, with some additional gains. For vine tomatoes, we even saw prices double. So, things seem to be moving in the right direction heading into June. Hopefully, that trend continues. It's also typical that after the end of May, once the peak passes, prices go back up. And with the recent two weeks of dark weather, I expect production will now be better aligned with demand."
The exporter from Sint-Katelijne-Waver mainly targets the German market and still sees strong potential there. "There is a local product in Germany, and there are smaller and larger retailers who prefer it. However, the country is far from self-sufficient, and that's unlikely to change. German growers often face higher production costs than we do in Belgium or the Netherlands. They may have more experience and operate on a larger scale, but in a season like this, when tomato growers have had a tough time, it's clear they struggle to compete with the low prices from the Netherlands. Even if they fetch a premium for local German produce, it's not attractive to expand greenhouse vegetable production unless it's highly profitable. So, I don't expect any major changes in exports to Germany soon."
For more information:
Jonathan Vandesande
Frans Michiels & Zn (FMB)
Kempenarestraat 50A - Bus 3
2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Tel: +32 15 560600
[email protected]
www.fmb.be